Extensible handle



EXTENSIBLE HANDLE Filed Dec. 11, 1956 I6 l I5 5 INVENTOK.

CHARLES H. NEHLS Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to retractable operating handles for doors and the like, and particularly concerns handles of the variety which when not in use lie close to or flush with the door or other 5 surface upon which they are mounted. An important object of the present invention is to provide such a door handle, particularly adapted to serve as operating means for the latch of an auto-- mobile door, so constructed that no special configuration of the door or special latch construction is required, such elements being utilizable in constructions and arrangements now in use and regarded as more or less conventional. A further object is an improved extensible handle requiring 15 no special manipulation or effort to extend the handle, such extension being caused naturally, if not unconsciously, by the user in grasping the handle with his fingers in the normal manner of operating vehicle doorlocks of conventional construction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention, and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an automobile door of hollow metal construction, equipped with'a door latch operable by handle means incorporating the principles of this invention, such handle means being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the handle, mounted upon the door, the latter being fragmentarily shown.

Figure 3 is. a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevatiohal view taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure l, and looking in the direction of the arrows, parts being broken away to afford a better view of the interior construction.

Figure 6 is a detailed perspective view showing the spring backing means and method of mount ing the same upon the shank or handle shaft.

Referring now to'the drawing, reference character l0 designates the front or outer panel of a vehicle door, shown as of hollow sheet metal construction and adapted to be swingable in the usual manner into and out of a doorway provided in the body l2. A latch l5 mounted inside the door is provided with a latch bolt l6 projectable from the edge of the door to engage a striker plate I! on the door jamb. Only the outside operating means for the latch is shown. The latch mechaat its pivoted end with a partly spherical surface forming a ball portion 22, and mounted in a corresponding partly spherical socket 2:! in the handle-supporting plate 26. Such plate also serves as an escutcheon, being shown secured to the face of the door by screws 21.

Guiding means are provided in the form of pin and slot portions 3Z-33, the former carried by the ball section of the handle and the latter punched or otherwise formed in the socket portion 24, such pin and slot connection serving to guide the handle and prevent turning thereof until it has been pulled away from the door, thus protecting the finish of the door against being streaked or marked by dragging of the end portion 2| of the handle thereover.

The handle normally extends horizontally, and when pulled away from the face of the door, substantially to the position indicated in do dash lines at ZDA in Figure 1, is rockable to turn the latch-operating shaft or shank 25. The shank is provided at its outer end with an enlarged head portion 39 which is vertically apertured and provided with flat and parallel top and bottom surfaces, over which the handle, slotted as at 2| to receive the head, is fitted, and to which it is pivotally attached by means of a pivot pin 30 extending through the aperture All in the ball portion of the handle, and through aperture 28 in the head of the shank.

A torsion spring 35 also housed in the aperture 28 acts to return the handle to its normal rest position against the face of the door, such position being that shown in full lines in Figure l. The spring is wrapped loosely about the pin 36. A radial slot 35 in one face of the head intersects the opening 28 to hold one end of the spring, which is out-turned thereinto, while at its other end the spring acts upon the pin 39, which turns as a unit with the handle, the spring extending through a slot 38 in the pin. The construction of these parts may best be understood by a description of the method of installation of the pin, which is provided at its end with a reduced and knurled area 3! through which the spring slot 38 extends. is harder and somewhat larger than the counterbored bottom portion M of the bore ii! in the handle in which the pin is. held, the knurled and counterbored portions 31-4! being so proportioned that when the pin is driven into place, it is tightly held against turning with respect to the handle by the knurling and tight fit.

In order to apply the desired torsion to the spring and handle, the spring is first fitted into "the opening 28 in the shank head, with its out- Such reduced and knurled portion 31 turned end A held in the slot 36, and its opposite end 3513 extending diametrically across the other end of the opening 28. The handle is then fitted over the head of the shank, and its bore aligned with'the transverse opening 23. The pin is inserted from the end opposite to the diametrically extending end portion 353' of the spring, and the slot 33 of the pin fitted over such spring portion. Thereafter, before the knurled portion 31 of the pin is driven into the counterbore M in the handle, the pin is turned to applytorsion to the spring, as by means of a screw driver or other suitable implement engaged in the slot M provided in the head of the pin for the purpose. With the pin. so held in itsv turned position by means of the screw-driver, the end of the screwdriver is struck, as with a hammer, to drive the pin home, whereafter its tight fit in. the bore portionl holds it and the spring end 353 against turning with relation to the handle.

It will be understood that the above-descrimd operations are performed before the shank and handle assembly is inserted in the socketed plate 26, and itwill be seen that after insertion thereof a part of the pin 36 lies inside and is trapped by the socket. A soft rubber or other suitable buffer, as 2|, may be provided upon. the inside of the free end of the: handle, to hold it at the desired distance from the door and prevent injury to the door surface. The fit between the slotted portion 2| of the handle and the flattened head 39 of the shank 25 maybe a close one, so that the turning moment applied to the handle is transmitted entirely through such inter-engaging sur- 7 faces, without exertion of any effort on the spring or pin portions.

The shank 25 is preferably slidable bodily through the latch casing I5, at least through a slight travel; and longitudinal effort is exerted upon the shank by a compressicn'spring 5i! arranged upon the shank between the socket portion 24 and the latch mechanism, and bearing inwardly at its inner end upon the shank to urge it, and accordingly the spherical end of the handle, into the socket. At its outer end the spring bears outwardly against the inner surface of the socket portion; retainers, as 5!, being provided 'for the spring ends.

The portion of the shank which extends though the spring 59 is rounded, while that which extends through the latch mechanism is squared. The diameter of the round portion of the shaft is less than the thickness of the square section, the juncture of the round with the square portion, providing an abutment against which. the inner spring retainer 55 engages. The construction of such retainer is best shown in Figure 6. The retainers and spring'are assembled upon the shaft over the squared end, and the retainers are provided with squared openings of such size as to enable them to slide freely thereover. At toits squared opening the inner retainer is provided with a squared depression, 52, proportioned to fit over the abutment portion comprising the corners of the abutting squared section of the shaft, where the retainer is yieldably held by the spring, while the depressed portion inv turn. holds the retainer against turning and so prevents escape of the spring.

To provide a stop which is more massive than the pin and slot connection. limiting outward movement of the handle, the head 39 of the shank in the ball section of the handle, to limit outward movement of the handle.

What I claim is:

1. Extensible operating means of the character described comprising in combination with a support and a shaft limitedly slidable therein, a socketed handle-supporting portion through which one end of said shaft slidably and rotatably projects, a handle lever pivoted to such projecting end of the shaft on a transverse axis and rotatable with respect to the shaft only about such pivotal axis, said handle lever having at its pivoted end a ball portion limitedly movable universally in such socket portion, spring means arranged within the ball portion and acting upon the handle and the projecting end of the shaft, to urge the handle lever toward the support about such transverse axis, and separate spring means reacting against the shaft tourge it longitudinally in "a direction to maintain the ball portion seated in the socket portion, said pivotal connection between the handle lever and the shaft comprising a. pin fast in the ball portion of the handle lever and rotatable in the shaft, said first-mentioned spring means comprising a torsion spring wrapped loosely about the pin within the shaft, and also loosely mounted with respect to the shaft, and reacting against said pin and shaft.

2. An extensible latch handle comprising in combination with a handle shaft and a socketed supporting portion through which an end of said shaft projects and in which it is rotatable, a handle lever pivoted to such projecting end of the shaft'upon an axis transverse to the shaft for bodily rotation with the shaft and for swinging movement about said transverse axis, torsion spring means arranged within the handle and reacting against the same for swinging the handle in a desired direction about said transverse axis, and separate spring means reacting against the shaft and socket to urge the handle into the latter, said pivotal connection comprising a pin extending through the ball portion of the handle lever and shaft and lying at least partly in the socketed portion, said handle and shaft having other portions transverse to the axis of the shaft and closely fitted, whereby turning moment applied to the handle is transmitted through said other portions rather than the pin.

3. An extensible latch handle comprising in combination with a handle shaft and a socketed supporting portion through which an end of said shaft projects and in which-it is rotatable, a handle lever pivoted to such projecting end of the shaft upon an axis transverse to the shaft for bodily rotation. with the shaft and for swinging movement about said transverse axis, torsion spring means arranged within the handle and reacting against the same for swinging the handle in a desired direction about said transverse axis, separate spring means reacting against the shaft and socket to urge the handle into the latter, and interfitting pin and guide slot portions carried by said socket and ball portions to control the movement of the handle. 

